Alva m



(No Model.)

A. M. STETSON.

AMALGAMATOR.

No. 476,497. Patented June 7, 1892.

l- IG l UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALVA M. STETSON, OF OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO THOMAS R. HAYES, OF SAME PLACE.

AMALGANIATOR..

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 476,497, dated June 7, 1892.

Application filed June 3, 1891. Serial No. 394,976. (No model.)

T0 @ZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALvA M. S'rnrsoN, a uitizen of the United States, residing at Oakland, Alameda county, State of Oalifornia,have invented an Improvement in Amalgamators; and I hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the saine.

My invention relates to certain improvements in apparatus for amalgamating gold and precious metals and separating them from the waste of any pulp which may contain them.

It consists of a series of superposed shelves or drawers made of amalgamated or silvered plates having upturned sides, forming shallow pans, with perforations made through the amalgamated bottoms, a drawer or drawers containing mercury, said pans and drawers being so arranged that the material falling through the openings will be received upon an amalgamated plate or mercury below, whereby the gold is forced into intimate contact with the mercury by the impact or by its fall. l

It also consists in certain details of construction, which will be more fully explained by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is a view of my apparatus, showing two of the drawers partially open. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal vertical section.

A is a frame or casing having horizontal bars or cleats fixed upon opposite sides for the purpose of receiving the drawers B and C. The drawers B consist of shallow pans of metal having the bottom amalgamated and perforated with holes, as shown at D, with a considerable imperforate interval between the lines of holes. These drawers are placed upon the cleats or supports within the casing in such position that the holes in one drawer will stand above the unperforated part of the surface of the next drawer beneath. The drawers O are made of wood or other suitable material, having channels E extending along beneath the rows of holes in the drawers above. Between these channels are the elevated portions having holes made through them, with a considerable imperforate interval between each elevated portion, as described, for the Erst-named drawers. The channels are partially iilled with mercury, and these channels stand beneath the rows of holes in the drawers or shelves above them. These drawers containing the free mercury may be alternated with the amalgamated plates or placed in any suitable or desired position with relation thereto.

F is adoor provided witha lock. This door closes over the end of the case, through which the drawers are removable, and as all the other portions of the case are sufficiently closed to prevent access to the drawers it will be manifest that any gold or precious metal which is separated and retained within the apparatus will be safe from interference.

The operation of my device is as follows: The metal-bearing pulp, mixed with a sufficient quantity of water, is admitted into the upper part of the apparatus by a suitable sluice or conveyer. Falling into the upper tray or chamber having a perforated bottom, the pulp is distributed over this bottom and passes through the holes D, falling upon the amalgamated surface of the drawer next below. These drawers are a sufficient distance apart, so that the falling material will gather some momentum and will strike the amalgamated plate or the mercury-trough, as the case maybe, with considerable force. This brings any gold or precious metal contained in the pulp int-o very intimate contact with the mercury or amalgamated surface, the gold being, as it were, forced into or against the mercury, by which operation the latter will take up a greater quantity of the gold than if the pulp were allowed to pass over the amalgainated plates by flowing in the usual manner. The intermediate or ultimate mercury-containing drawers or troughs allow the gold to be entirelysubmerged when it strikes the mercury and amalgamated thereby. The lighter and more worthless portions of the pulp rise above the level of the ribs in these mercury-containing drawers and How over them, so as to pass down through the holes which are made through the ribs. In this way the gold will have a tendency to remain in the mercury, and not flow off with the lighter particles of material.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. An amalgamator consisting of a series of plates or trays having ainalgamated or silvered bottoms, with lines ot perforations therein, the perforations of one plate being out of line with those of the adjacent plate, mercury-containing drawers having upwardly-extending ribs or partitions extending parallel with each other and forming mercury channels, said ribs or partitions having perforations through them, whereby the lighter portions of the pulp may be conveyed away without loss of mercury, while the valuable portions are con fined within the parallel channels between adjoining ribs, substantially as herein described.

2. In an amalgamator having a series of plates or trays with amalgamated or silvered bottoms provided with lines of perforations, zo

the mercury-containing drawers having parallel-spaced ribs or partitions rising above the surface of the drawers and forming channels, which lie in line with the perfor-ations of the alnalgarnating-plate next above, whereby the spaces between the ribs or partitions form channels, in which the valuable portions of the pulp are confined, said ribs having perforations through them, through which the lighter portions of the pulp ow, substantially as herein described.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

ALVA M. STETSON.

Vitnesses:

GEO. T. KNOX, H. J. LANG. 

